Kennedy Center Honors Moves to Capital One Arena Amid Naming Rights Dispute
The 49th Kennedy Center Honors will be held at the Capital One Arena in Washington instead of the usual venue, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a spokesperson confirmed on Friday. This event is set for December 7, with honorees' names to be announced later. The venue switch follows the center's board decision last month to close the riverfront site after a federal judge denied the addition of Donald Trump's name. Trump claimed the closure was necessary for safety repairs, which depended on board approval for a name change. The judge emphasized that congressional approval is required for such actions, referencing $257 million earmarked for repairs. Established in 1964, the Kennedy Center is legally barred from renaming or memorializing anyone else. The Kennedy Center Honors began in 1978 to recognize significant cultural contributions in the performing arts.
Key facts
- The 49th Kennedy Center Honors will take place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., not the Kennedy Center.
- The event is scheduled for Dec. 7, 2026; honorees will be named later.
- The Kennedy Center board voted last month to close the venue after a federal judge blocked adding Trump's name.
- Trump said the closure is for safety repairs, contingent on renaming approval.
- A federal judge ruled twice that Congress must approve any name change; Congress allocated $257 million for repairs.
- Trump hosted the 2025 awards, which honored Sylvester Stallone and George Strait.
- The board of trustees, named by Trump, voted unanimously to add his name, a decision challenged in court.
- Congress designated the center a living memorial to John F. Kennedy in 1964, and law prohibits memorializing anyone else.
Entities
Artists
- Donald Trump
- John F. Kennedy
- Sylvester Stallone
- George Strait
Institutions
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Capital One Arena
- Kennedy Center Honors
- Congress
- Board of Trustees
- Kennedy Center
- Washington Wizards
- Washington Capitals
- N.B.A.
- N.H.L.
- The New York Times
Locations
- Washington
- United States
- Potomac River
- Washington, D.C.